The present invention relates to a method and to an apparatus for collecting folded printed products which are deposited on rests which circulate along a continuous path.
A process and an apparatus of this type are known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,938 and the corresponding EP-A-0278286. The disclosed apparatus includes rests which are arranged about a circulation axis and are provided with continuously driven drivers. Feeding stations are arranged in the direction of the circulation axis, spaced apart one behind the other. At each feeding station one folded printed product is deposited in a straddling manner onto the rests which are moved past the feeding stations as they circulate about the circulation axis. When travelling between two feeding stations, the printed products thus circulate once about the circulation axis and are advanced by the relevant driver by the distance to the next feeding station. In this arrangement, the printed products must be deposited onto the passing rests such that they rest upstream of one of the oncoming, displacing drivers. This is not important for the first printed product because the first printed product remains on the rest until it is taken up by the corresponding driver, and only then is it advanced. However, each further printed product which is placed on a previously deposited printed product projects forward in the conveying direction with a border portion and, as a result of frictional locking, is advanced with the printed product located therebeneath from the moment it rests thereon, without the further printed product bearing directly on the displacing driver. In order then to align the printed products, which are of the same length in the direction of the rest, such that they coincide, each feeding station is assigned a stop element. The stop element forces in each case the last-deposited printed product against the displacing driver. The result is that the leading and trailing edges of the printed products which are collected on the rests to form groups are aligned one upon the other such that they coincide. This known apparatus is intended for collecting and aligning printed products of the same format. This apparatus, however, is not suitable for processing printed products of different formats, wherein the printed products are to be aligned with respect to one of the two fold-adjoining edges.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,202 and the corresponding CH-A-575303 disclose a drum-like apparatus for processing printed products. The disclosed apparatus includes radially outwardly open compartments running in the axial direction. In each partition wall, which separates one compartment from the next, a carriage is displaceably guided in the axial direction. The carriage forms the base of the relevant compartment and is provided with controllable sets of grippers. Feeding stations are arranged one behind the other in the direction of the circulation axis. At the feeding stations, a printed product is introduced into each compartment which runs past the feeding stations. In each case, during one revolution of the processing drum, the carriages carry out a conveying displacement and a return displacement. The sets of grippers are closed during the conveying displacement in order to convey the printed products from one feeding station to the next. During the return displacement, the sets of grippers are open, and the printed products are prevented, by stops arranged on the partition walls, from being carried along. In order to align the printed products assembled at the feeding station, the carriages included controlled stop fingers. During the return displacement, the stop fingers can be pivoted out in each case such that they project into the compartment, in order to force possibly excessively advanced printed products against the relevant stop.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a process and apparatus which make it possible to process folded printed products of different formats, it being possible to align printed products with respect to one of the two fold-adjoining edges.